Oakland University students took a break from classwork and midterms to make colorful potions and decorate masquerade masks during the Golden Key International Honor Society’s “Witch-U-Doing?” event on Thursday afternoon.
The event, held on Oct. 23 from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Stinson Center at Elliott Hall, was organized by the OU chapter of Golden Key to give students a chance to unwind. Participants enjoyed free pizza, candy and drinks. Attendees used plastic bottles, hand sanitizer, glitter and food coloring to create decorative potions and painted masks with a variety of materials.
Golden Key President Tara Lehr said the event aimed to create a relaxed atmosphere where students could take a break from their academic routines.
“We wanted to create this mystical vibe where students walk in, completely just drift away from academics for a bit,” Lehr said. “We do like to go above and beyond for these events because we know that students are putting hard work into everything they do.”
Lehr said the executive board arrived three hours early to prepare the activity booths and adorn the room with spooky decorations. In addition to the crafts and decor, event coordinators provided playing cards, bracelets, and even stuffed animal familiars for students.
“Right now, we know that students are going through midterms or other big tests, so we’re trying to provide events like these so students don’t feel so stressed,” she said. “Stress less, right?”
Golden Key Vice President Jake Spencer said the group designed the event to encourage creativity while keeping the activity simple and stress-free.
“Every activity we do, we want it to be artistic in some form to help creativity flow, but still be relaxing,” Spencer said. “Masks and potions are both of those things, but also easy to account for. We always make sure we have enough for a lot of people, because everyone is welcome to come.”
Students Devon Roodbeen and Davio Mazzela said they found the event while checking bulletin boards around campus for upcoming activities. Both students said campus events like Witch-U-Doing? are particularly helpful for commuter students who want to feel more connected to the university community.
“Having other events that we can attend and look forward to changes the feeling of what we’re doing on campus,” Roodbeen said. “It’s nice to do something other than just studying or being directly in a class.”
“It’s definitely great to be on campus when you’re not stressed out of your mind,” Mazzela said. “Seeing other students here too is really nice. In the engineering field, you only ever talk to other engineers, so you see people you might not otherwise meet.”
Spencer said the chapter plans to continue offering creative events on a regular basis.
“We try our best to host events every second Thursday of each month, so that there’s always at least something to do for people,” he said. “Bringing that connectivity to people is an important aspect of our events.”
Lehr said Golden Key also focuses on community service projects and volunteer initiatives beyond campus events. The society also participates in fundraisers with outreach organizations such as Gleaners Community Food Bank and Forgotten Harvest.
“Regardless of whether or not you are a member, I would say just try attending an activity or event we put on,” Lehr said. “I want everybody to communicate. Cohabitate together. That’s my ultimate hope.”
Golden Key’s next campus event, a Friendsgiving “Paint and Sip” on Thursday, Nov. 13, will feature food, drinks and canvas painting. Event information and updates can be found on the Golden Key Instagram page.
